The Washington critic., 1887-07-27
WASHINGTON, july q, 1857

WASHINGTON, JULY 81, 1887.
DEMOCRACY and informally on this
side of the Atlantic will find no little
amusement In the spectacle of grave
complications and profound sensa.
tion-the rcsignat'ol Of Lord of the
Admiralty and more or less Of a polit-
ical crisis--over an alleged insult TO
the Queen, all growing out Of a breach
of etiquette by an English lord during
the naval review at Spithead. Charles
BeTesford, u or Lord OF tie Admir-.
atty, was ON the vessel on which the
Queen was receiving the officers of
the fleet, and took the liberty Of
directing That n personal message be
sent l'y signal from that vessel to an
other, upon which his wife was n
guest. The captain of the vessel re.
ceiving the message claimed that none
but royal command should have been
signaled from the royal vessel aud that
the sending Of personal message was
an insult to the Queen. a personal
affront TO himself and violation of the
prophecies generally, When the
criticisms of Lord Beresford's little
message to his wife were Published
and the matter generally discussed
there was nothing left for the offending
Lord of the Admiralty but to tender
his resignation. The contingency of
Lord Beresfords resignation is GER
tainly not one that was anticipated,
and 1t would at this time have consid-
cradle influence upon affairs.
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS of high and
low degree are beginning TO turn their
attention to the preparation of their
annual reports. In this matter expert
ence has given some warnings which
should be needed. The tendency of
recent years has been toward volumin-
GUS and unreadable literature of this
description. The annual reports Of
the Government Departments, bureaus
and other branches for any one of the
last ten years would form library of
no slight proportions. A large per-
Centage of the contents of these weighty
volumes is unnecessary and only buries
the more valuable portions, like the
traditional needle in hay y-stack. 1t
was one of the implied intentions of
this Administration to apply vigor.
GUS policy of retrenchment and reform
to these annual reports, and now Is the
time for officials 10 pause and consider
before they contribute unnecessary vol
ume TO this mighty and ever increasing
mass. Be brief; evermore, be brief.
THERE Is an active competitor be-
tween naval officers for assignment to
duty on the new cruisers. Scarcely an
officer serving on one of the antiquate
vessels Of which the present navy con.
sists but seeks to be transferred to one
of the vessels of the so called new navy.
Even officers who have long clung te.
naciously to details ut Washington are
showing willingness to go to sea now
that there Is prospect of assignment to
q vessel that is not so antique and un-
serviceable as to be an object of ridi-
new gun carriages are death dealing
devices, and that the new forms of
steering apparatus are, too, fearfully
and wonderfully made, do not appear to
affect the zeal of aspiring officers to dis.
tinguish themselves In the new vessels.
THE annual report of the Commits.
sionei of Internal Revenue again shows
the tendency, apparent for several
years past, toward an increase In the
consumption Of malt liquors and de-
crease in the consumption of spirituous
liquors. The substitution of the malt
beverage for its spirituous rivals Is
Observable In nearly every portion of
the country and is becoming more and
more extensive. Such comfort as
morallsts and reformers can get out Of
the figures is to some extent offset by
the fact that this report, like those
preceding 1t, again shows further in.
crease In the consumption of tobacco in
all It's forms, from the democratic
'plug' to the sickly cigarette.
THE cablegram from Rome aunounc.
Ing that the Pope has declined to act
upon the various appeals, suggestions
and recommendation for his inter.
ference with the Knights OF Labor,
will be matter Of little surprise.
There has been no reason to suppose
that the Pope could make any other
reply to those who have sought to se-
cure action by the Roman Church hos.
lille to the great labor organization.
WE DEVOTE considerable space to
day TO presentation OF the subj CT of
Home Rule In the Upited States. 1t is
live topic in which everyone who has
home or is laboriug to acquire one,
ard all who desire the maintenance OF
the free institutions of the American
Republic, are directly interested.
Mr. GEORGE c. GoRHAM writes with
the same vigor and Interesting sty le of
concise expression on the subject of
Home Rule In the United States asch ar.
acteTizes all productions from his bril-
liant pen.
NICoLAI GKEysTAD, a prominent Norwa
Pian citizen Of Minnesota and until recently
editor Of the NOrdteecn at st. Paul, has
been rendered the position OF eiitor-in-
chief Of new daily paper, an organ for the
liberal ministry, which is about to be estab-
lished at Chrlstiania, Norway. Mr.. Grev-
stad's great object In life appears to be to
Americanize his native land, and is making
strenuous efforts TO introduce the Ameri-
can jury system there.
Ex-CoSGREssMAs GRISSELL OF Iowa says
that the Hawkeye State can be set down for
o nm OOO hnshe ala rnore wheat than anv othar